Catholics and the left

An interesting discussion on the history of the relationship between Catholics and the Left from Taki Radio, entitled "John Zmirak on Catholics and the Left" - (download podcast, 4th down, available 8 May). It includes the observation that Prohibition was primarily about assimilating catholics to protestant virtue!

But politics have moved on and we are living in the post-sixties world. There is the connection between the Kennedy's and legalised abortion; Zmirak discusses how Catholic institutions are sidling up with the powers-that-be and Obama, the homogeneity of diversity, liberal bishops and the way the pro-life legislative movement is all but finished.

Christ shouldn't irritate so many people

On the BBC Big questions show some weeks ago, the presenter, Nicky Campbell said of Pope Benedict (something like) how can he be Christ-like when he irritates so many people?

Wait a minute, what did Jesus do? He threw the money lenders out of the temple, he trampled over jewish religious traditions, he was considered to have blasphemed. He irritated so many people that they crucified him.

Today there is a media crucifixion of Pope Benedict XVI, part of an ongoing ideological (and sometimes legistlative) persecution of the Catholic church. Obviously, the church won't give up its ethical principles, in spite of the pressure; but there is this assumption that being a Christian is all about being nice. Nice and inoffensive. The dominant, progressive morality is so far removed from Christian morality that Christians cannot help but offend.

They must offend.